Least Expensive Way to Heat a House

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Here to help you plan your home improvement projects, to get them done right the first time out. If you’ve got a project in mind, give us a call, right now, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. If you’re thinking about maybe a project for the spring ahead, we could tackle that. If you are ready to redo some of your interior because after spending the long, cold winter staring at all those walls you know it’s time for a new kitchen, a new bathroom or just some new décor, we can chat about that. But help yourself first by picking up the phone and calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

Coming up on today’s show, when it comes to heating your home, there are a lot of choices in heating fuel. But have you ever wondered which is truly the most efficient, which one’s really going to cost you the least to get your house warm and comfy? We’re going to sort out the differences between oil, gas, propane and electric to help you determine just that. And you might be surprised at what we found.

LESLIE: Plus, are you ready for a new washing machine? Well, we’re going to have tips to help you find the best features for your laundry needs.

TOM: And speaking of appliances, stoves can be a real danger zone for kids. We’re going to have tips on how to make stoves safe, including an important note about how to prevent stoves from tipping over. Because I don’t know if this has happened to kids in your care but mine love to turn that oven door into a diving board and climb right up on it and jump off.

LESLIE: Yeah. Mine always love the warming drawer. I don’t know why.

But guys, whatever is going on at your money pit – kids playing with the oven? Don’t let them do it. Give us a call. We want to help you out.

TOM: The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.

Leslie, who’s first?

LESLIE: Venny (sp) from Florida, you’ve got The Money Pit. It seems like things are cracking up all around you. What’s going on?

VENNY (sp): I recently moved from the Northeast down here to Florida.

TOM: Hasn’t everybody recently moved from the Northeast to Florida? Is that the great migration?

VENNY (sp): Yes. Lower taxes and better weather.

TOM: Right.

VENNY (sp): Yeah. And I have a house. I’m doing major renovation. And I’m noticing not just my property but everywhere in Florida, because everything is on sand, there’s so many things, patios – I ripped out an entire back patio but there’s even – everywhere there’s a slab of concrete, it’s cracked, whether it’s cracked a little bit or cracked a lot.

TOM: Right.

VENNY (sp): And what I need is specific recommendations of what to do. Would you fill it and then do some kind of an epoxy paint? Or is there some kind of a resurfacing to be done? What’s the best way to go about it and what are the specific products you’d recommend to do that?

TOM: So we’re talking about patio slabs, right?

VENNY (sp): Yeah. If you go – let’s say even if you go out a sliding-glass door and you have a little slab of concrete there, my garage is, you know – and this is a relatively new house.

TOM: Right. Yep. Yeah.

VENNY (sp): The garage – and if you like closely, you’ll see small cracks or big cracks. The inside of the garage is cracked, the entranceway to the garage is cracked.

TOM: Right.

VENNY (sp): Some of them are big and some of them are small.

TOM: OK. The reason I asked you whether we’re talking about the patio is because there is a difference between how you would put down a slab for the house itself, including the garage, and how you would do that for a patio outside.

And typically, what happens is when homeowners have patios poured, the masons don’t make them thick enough or they don’t reinforce the patios. And concrete, if it’s not properly supported – which can easily happen, especially in sandy soil or in soil where the water is not diverted around or away from the patio – they can become unstable and they can crack very easily.

And in a case like that, if you were to seal the crack, you’re not really fixing the problem. It will continue to move. That concrete wants to bend and it can’t, so it cracks. Certainly, that will slow it down and stop water from getting through the crack and under it.

But in your garage, that’s a place that’s not really supposed to crack. And if the cracks are minor, that’s pretty typical. If they’re major – and by major, I mean they’ve opened up to ¼- or ½-inch – that’s a problem that needs further investigation by a structural pro.

But what you could do is you could fill those gaps with a silicone filler or an epoxy patching compound. And then once they’re filled, you certainly could finish that slab with any type of appropriate finish. An epoxy paint works really, really well if the slab is barely deteriorated. And up in the Northeast, we see a lot of deteriorated slabs because people put rock salt down. There are different resurfacing materials that you can use in your area that will give that concrete a new surface.

But I want to just explain to you that, again, if it’s outside the frame of the building, it’s most likely to continue to move. So if you’ve got a concrete apron at the front of the garage and it’s cracked, just because you’re covering or filling cracks doesn’t mean it’s not going to open up or continue to move, because that’s just kind of what it’s going to do. It’s a factor of how that was poured to begin with. Does that make sense?

VENNY (sp): Yes. And what I’m wondering is – it seems like there’s two major choices here. One is to fill it and paint it and the other is some kind of resurfacing. But I haven’t heard – I’ve got some different contractors looking at this.

By the way, you mentioned a patio. I had a rear patio and it was so cracked up, I had three different contractors come with all different – three different answers.

TOM: Yeah.

VENNY (sp): And some said to tile it, some said to fill it. We eventually just demoed it and then just put a deck on the back.

TOM: Right. Yeah.

VENNY (sp): I really liked that a lot. Because they said, “Sooner or later, even if you fix it, it’s going to come back again.”

But for example, the entranceway to the house, that’s cracked.

TOM: Right.

VENNY (sp): I’m just shocked. And I’ve looked around. Now I’m very aware of this. But in these southern – any of these places where it’s on sand, this is a major problem. And I definitely – I checked out the website. I do hope you address this on – I love your site, by the way. I learned a lot on the site.

TOM: Thanks.

VENNY (sp): But that you – that there’s something that you could write up and give us some specific maybe products or …

TOM: Well, look, outside, those slabs, you’ve got to remember that’s structural, OK? That’s like your yard’s version of a rug, OK? That’s not designed to hold anything. It just gives you a clean surface for you to walk on, for your air conditioner to sit on and for guests coming up to your house to step on for – to make a bridge between a driveway and the garage slab itself.

So, you know, that – you say cracked concrete, you immediately think everything is structural. It’s really not. There’s some concrete that’s structural and some that’s not. If you’re a slab-on-grade house and you’ve got cracks going through the middle of your kitchen, which I’ve seen, that’s structural. But outside, it’s not. So it becomes cosmetic.

And in terms of whether or not you just fill it and paint it or whether you put a – if you were to resurface that, QUIKRETE has got some amazing products that will bond and stick like crazy to concrete surfaces. And those are great. And you’ll get a new, clean-looking surface. But that crack underneath can form all the way through the newly resurfaced material, so it depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

But don’t panic and don’t think that you’re having structural problems because you see patios and sidewalks and outside slabs cracked. It’s not important. It’s cosmetic only. Yes, we could have prevented it if the concrete was thicker, if it was reinforced. But look, they’re not doing it that way to save money, whatever. If you want to tear it out and do it right, you could do that. But until then, you’ve just got to kind of seal it, fill those cracks and just kind of live with it. That’s what I would do.

VENNY (sp): But you mentioned a product called QUIKRETE. I was worried about trying something to try to put a veneer on top of it, whatever that was. And I’m not sure of the products to go after but if you put a product, let’s say – I’ve heard of QUIKRETE. I don’t think I’ve ever used it.

TOM: Yeah. And QUIKRETE is a major brand. It’s the leading brand in concrete products for the home and commercial, as well. But it’s – these guys have the technology down. And one of their products is a resurfacer. So, yes, it’s not a miracle; it’s not going to reinforce the structure of that. It will still flex and bend and crack. But listen, you’re never going to get it to be totally crack-free. And if it bothers you that much, I’d say then go ahead and resurface it. And the crack, when it comes back, is going to be more hairline than sort of a gap, OK?

Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Zelda in North Carolina is looking for some help with a renovation. What can we do for you?

ZELDA: Yes. I’ve done a lot with my floors but I put some laminate in everywhere, because I have a little Chihuahua dog and didn’t want to get scratches on real wood. But there is a bathroom upstairs and a small hallway in front and I didn’t want laminate there, because you don’t want it in a bathroom. So, what else would be good? Because I didn’t want the grout issues of tile or – and I didn’t know what else to go to. I thought about bamboo or is there some tile that doesn’t have the grout-y stuff or …?

TOM: Well, there’s a wide variety of choices. Now, you mentioned that you didn’t want to put laminate there. Do you want something that gives you a wood look?

ZELDA: Not necessarily.

TOM: Alright. Well, one of the options that I was thinking would be a bamboo floor. Bamboo is very, very durable and it’s also very good in moist, damp areas. It doesn’t swell. And you can pick up bamboo as an engineered product, which means it’s made in multiple layers, which gives it dimensional stability. But of course, that is going to give you sort of that wood look.

There are also luxury vinyl products that are out today that are very, very thick and heavy vinyl tile that are not very expensive.

LESLIE: Yeah, it’s like a rubberized vinyl, even. They’re fairly thick. They’re available in a plank style, so it actually looks like wood. Some of those will – some will snap together as the rubberized vinyl. Some will sort of overlap and stick to one another. It depends on the quality of the product, to be honest with you. But they’re both – however much money you do spend on a rubberized vinyl, it goes together very easily and it looks fantastic. And it’s a little bit softer, so it’s more forgiving on your legs, knees, back when you’re standing in the room for a long time.

ZELDA: Well, yeah, because my first choice, when I went to look, was the bamboo. But I wasn’t sure if that could go in a bathroom. So that really is what I kind of liked the best. Yeah, great.

Thank you so much. That’s very helpful.

TOM: You’re welcome, Zelda. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. Give us a call at 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. Find out what it costs to do your home project before you hire that pro and instantly book one of HomeAdvisor’s top-rated pros, for free.

TOM: Up next, gas, oil, propane or electric. With so many ways to heat your home, we’re going to help you sort out which is the most efficient and the most effective, after this.

Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Standing by on this February weekend to take your home improvement question at 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. They really do have the best local pros for any home service.

LESLIE: That’s right. Doesn’t matter what the project is, they make it fast and easy to find top-rated pros.

TOM: And there are no membership fees. It’s 100-percent free to use. HomeAdvisor.com.

LESLIE: Going up north to Rhode Island where Doug has got a question about heat sources. What can we do for you, Doug?

DOUG: Yeah, hi. Good evening. I appreciate your show and I thank you for all your hard work in providing such wonderful answers.

My question has to do with – I’m looking – considering an alternative source for heat in the event of power loss. And I’m trying to weigh my options and I’m looking at pellet stoves and wood stoves. And I’m wondering what your opinions are and if there are – if there’s anything else that I should be considering.

TOM: Yeah, you should be considering a whole-home generator if you’re concerned about power failure. I mean look, it’s not just the heat that you need in a power failure. Have you thought about installing a generator?

DOUG: You know, if I did install one, it would have to be one that just kicks on: one of those whatever-they-call-it, the automatic style?

TOM: Yeah. It’s called – let me explain this to you, Doug. It’s called a “whole-home generator.” It’s a permanently installed appliance. It would be installed outside your house. You can buy one that can cover every single circuit in the house or you could buy a smaller one that would just cover select circuits like, for example, your furnace or your boiler. And when the power fails on the grid, the whole-home generator automatically kicks on and then repowers your entire house.

Now, these don’t run on gasoline. They can run on natural gas or propane, which means you never have to worry about fueling them or finding gasoline to fill a tank, for example. Because that’s what you’d have to do if you had a portable generator. So I would protect my power first.

Now, as to the question about installing some alternative heat source, like a pellet stove or a wood stove, sure, one of the other of those is fine. I think you’ll find maximum efficiency with the pellet stoves. And the most efficient stoves also have their own combustion air supply. That’s where most folks go wrong. Because if you don’t have an outside combustion air supply, where do you think all that air comes to fuel that fire? It comes from inside your house and that’s the air that you’ve already paid to heat through your heating system. So, you want to have an external combustion air supply to help improve the efficiency.

Does that make sense, Doug?

DOUG: Yeah, it makes a lot of sense. I do have natural gas.

TOM: Well, then, you’re all set up. I would take a look at the KOHLER generators or the Generac generators. Both great brands.

DOUG: Yeah, I’ll look into it.

TOM: Good luck, Doug. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: So, have you ever been bombarded with ads compelling you to choose propane over oil or natural gas over electric? Well, all of these competing claims can make it very hard to find out what the best deal is for you, because that differs from person to person.

Now, according to the Department of Energy, the best home heating-fuel option for your home depends on a variety of factors, including the cost and availability of the fuel and the cost of maintenance and installation.

Now, the truth is that for most of us, our home heating-fuel options may not be up to us, since the fuel has to match the heating appliance that was installed in your home or your apartment or condo. And switching from one fuel to another usually isn’t practical. But there are ways you can save.

TOM: Well, that’s right. For example, if you heat by oil – or even, in some cases, propane – one way to cut costs is to join a fuel cooperative. These oil-fuel cooperatives are groups that form to purchase fuel oil in bulk. And they do so at a discount, which is then passed along to the end users.

Now, the cooperatives have been around for more than 20 years or so and joining one can give you some pretty significant savings. But just remember you have to kind of split out the service work, because the cooperative is not going to tune up your furnace and that sort of thing. So you are going to have to hire a pro to keep things in good working order or repair it if it breaks.

But purchasing the fuel, you definitely don’t have to do that through the same company. If you go through a cooperative, you can cut the costs.

ROBIN: In our bathroom, there just seems to be a lot of moisture. I don’t know if the exhaust fan is working properly or not. On one of your shows, you’d mentioned Concrobium, so I sprayed that in the shower and that seems to help stave it off. But we use a fan, we use the exhaust fan and we use a dehumidifier.

And I noticed on the outside, I guess, outtake vents, there’s a whole bunch of black stuff. And then, also, in our sinks, underneath the faucet, there’s mold back in behind that hole. So I’m wondering, is this going to be a health concern or how do I stop some of this mold?

TOM: Well, the solution comes down to managing moisture and it sounds like you’re doing the right things. But one common mistake that people make with exhaust fans is that they don’t leave them on long enough after you take a bath or a shower. They really have to stay on, sometimes, 15 or 20 minutes to properly dry out the room.

ROBIN: Well, I know – well, I can’t speak for my husband but I know that I do, just because I’ve got a fan running, I’ve got a dehumidifier and I’ve – we’ve also got the exhaust fan and it is the biggest one that you can have. And I’m wondering if just because of our moist area we need to get two of them so it’s directly over the shower? I don’t know. But I’m worried that through the whole pipe that leads to the outside, is that all filled with mold in there if the outside vent shows mold?

TOM: Well, the vent that’s taking the air from the bathroom out, is that what you’re seeing on the outside wall?

ROBIN: I’m not seeing on the wall, just on the vent itself, where the – I guess where the air goes out to the outside? That whole vent is all moldy looking.

TOM: Well, a lot of people look at vents that are dirty and call it “mold.” I think it would be unusual for it to be moldy, because you would have to have a pretty strong food source there. And the only thing you’re going to have coming out that vent is a bit of dust, which could be a mold source but it’s very unusual for it to really develop. So I think you might just be seeing a dirty vent. It’s much more likely that what you’re seeing there is dirt and not mold.

But I would say this: if you want to eliminate the possibility of moisture inside the bathroom, what you want to do is you want to make sure that the exhaust fan – the bathroom fan – is wired to a humidistat.

And if you take a look at the fans that are made by Broan-NuTone, they actually have a new one coming out, I know, that has a humidistatic control. And I think they have some others, as well. But we just saw one last week, though, at a major trade show called the International Builders’ Show that they were releasing for the first time.

But if you get one of these fans that’s got a humidistatic control in it, then you don’t have to worry about whether or not somebody’s leaving it on or not. It just stays on until the moisture goes down and then automatically goes off. So, it kind of takes you out of the equation.

ROBIN: OK.

TOM: And your husband. Because he could be the problem.

ROBIN: I don’t have to be a grouch and say, “Turn that back on.” OK.

TOM: You do not. You do not.

ROBIN: Alright. Well, I will try those. And the Concrobium is working great in the shower, so that was an excellent tip from before.

TOM: Our pleasure. Glad it worked out for you. Robin, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Still to come, are you looking to shop for a good bargain on a new washing machine? Well, one piece of advice: don’t scrimp too much. We’re going to tell you why spending more now can save you some later, after this.

TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: What are you working on? Do you need new flooring in your kitchen or your bathroom? Well, that’s a good question for us. So call us, right now, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. HomeAdvisor can instantly match you with the right pro for jobs like that and so much more, for free.

LESLIE: Tony in Iowa is having a hot-and-cold water situation. What’s going on?

TONY: Well, I’ve got an electric water heater. And the main feed that comes in from the city, that goes into my electric water heater, it’s a cold line. But yeah, I get cold water to come out of my faucets and everything but that cold-water line, up around through the water heater there, it’s hot, the line, when I touch it. And I’m just curious what’s going on with that.

TOM: So, you have an electric water heater and that’s going to be fed by a cold-water line and it’s going to go through the water heater and come out as a hot-water line.

TONY: That’s correct.

TOM: OK. And so what’s the problem? So far, it’s normal.

TONY: The water line that goes into the water heater – the cold water?

TOM: Yes. Yep.

TONY: That line is hot.

TOM: Well, some of the heat from the water heater can be working its way back up the pipe. So you may be feeling some conductive heat that comes from – the hot water in the water heater itself could be making that pipe warm. But if you go farther down the line, you’re going to feel that it’s cold again.

It goes in cold and comes out hot but the fitting right around the top might feel like it’s a bit warm. But that’s only because of the conductive heat of the water in the water heater coming back up the metal pipe.

TONY: OK. That alleviates my concerns then.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Dana in Iowa, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

DANA: Well, I have a shelf that needs to be cut down so it’ll fit in the base of our A-frame cabin that we just bought in the Ozarks. And so it’s about 20 inches tall and it’s about 3 feet long and it kind of has those baskets that fit in it. And so, what I’d like to do is I’d like to cut it at an angle so that it fits back in there and it’s not just sticking out into the flooring space.

LESLIE: So, Dana, what you need to do is that – really what you have to do is sort of resize this piece so that it will fit into that open-bay portion so that it’s not, as you say, sticking out into the room. And you really need to be creative with the angles to sort of figure out what needs to come out of where.

Can you tell me a little bit more about this A-frame and the size of the shelf?

DANA: Well, the A-frame is just a regular A-frame; it goes all the way from the top to the peak, all the way to the ground level. And so I was trying to figure out, how do you figure the angle so that I know what angle to cut this shelf on?

LESLIE: Well, there’s a tool that you’re going to want to get: T-bevel.

TOM: Yep.

LESLIE: And it’s like a plastic handle with this sort of a tic-tac, oval-shaped blade that’s got a slide set in the middle of it.

TOM: Blade. Mm-hmm.

LESLIE: And you’re going to open that up. You can get that at any tool area at the home center.

DANA: OK.

LESLIE: And you’re going to want to open it up and you put that right in the corner at the angle and then lock it in that position. And then you go ahead and put that at your T-square and that’s going to tell you exactly the angle that you need to cut at. Or you can then take that T-bevel and go right up to the bottom of your shelf, put it exactly where you’re going to want to put that cut and mark that line.

DANA: OK.

TOM: Yeah, it’s like an adjustable square and it’s called a “T-bevel.” And you should be able to find an inexpensive one, like Leslie said, at home center.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. It really is going to save your day and make this the easiest project.

DANA: Ours …

TOM: I use that all the time for different types of fancy mitering cuts in, too, because there’s a couple of tricks of the trade where you can measure an angle and then divide it so that you can make a miter that ends up perfect on both sides.

And we also use it sometimes to set the angle on saw blades, so I think you’ll find that it’d be a very handy tool for this particular project. OK, Dana?

DANA: Alright. Thank you very much.

TOM: Well, here’s a quick tip if you’re in the market for a new washing machine. You might be tempted to buy the least expensive model out there and save some money. But you’ll get better savings in the long run when you purchase a high-efficiency washer.

LESLIE: Now, high-efficiency washing machines use half the energy of a conventional washer and about a third less water. The spin cycle is super fast, so your clothes don’t need as much drying time, which is also going to save you energy with your dryer.

TOM: And you’ll also use about two-thirds less detergent in a high-efficiency washer. And these machines can even handle large, bulky items, like comforters and blankets and sleeping bags, a lot easier than the inefficient models. And that’s going to save all of those special trips you used to have to take to the dry cleaners or the laundromat. So definitely dig into the high-efficiency machines if you’re ready to replace your washer.

LESLIE: Don in Pennsylvania is on the line with a lighting question. How can we help you today?

DON: Now, we’re going to redo our kitchen ceiling this year and we have these 6-inch pot lights up in the ceiling.

TOM: OK. Yeah, the can lights?

DON: Yeah.

TOM: OK.

DON: And we were wondering if we would take them out, if we put the LED lights under the cabinets, if it would give us as much light.

TOM: No, I wouldn’t take them out. I would keep them in.

Now, one is for area lighting; one is for task lighting. So the LED lights that could go under the edge of the cabinet could give you task-specific lighting for food prep. And they also look darn cool when you dim them in a party or something like that.

DON: Yeah.

TOM: But I would keep the lights in the ceiling.

But by the way, you have a lot of options in the type of bulb that you can put in those ceiling lights. You could actually put in LED bulbs into those ceiling lights, too. And you may find the quality of light is better than what you have with the incandescents.

DON: I mean take them out and put maybe like 4-inch ones in smaller ones or just leave the 6 ones in there?

TOM: I would leave them. I think that – I think you could use the 6-inch ones that you have. I don’t think that’s part of the project that’s going to give you a good return on investment. But if you change the bulbs out, I think you’ll find that that will make a difference.

Take a look at those Philips bulbs. I’ve got several of those now in my house, including in the kitchen, as can lights. They’re LEDs and we matched them up with Lutron dimmers where you can adjust the dimming range. And they’re super bright and they cost a heck of a lot less to run than the incandescents. And they last a lot longer. We used to replace those incandescents all the time and these have been – I’ve never had to replace them and I think they say they last over 20 years.

DON: Where would you find the (inaudible) on that?

TOM: You can get them at Home Depot.

DON: OK.

TOM: I know that I’ve gone there. They’re really interesting looking, Jack. They’re the ones that look – they look like yellow. They kind of look – I always think they look like bug lights.

DON: OK.

TOM: But you’ll be amazed when the thing comes on how bright it is.

DON: OK.

LESLIE: And they’re super efficient.

DON: Well, that’s what we’re looking for.

TOM: Alright, Don. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Up next, stoves can be a real danger zone for kids for so many reasons. We’re going to have tips on how to make stoves safe, including an important note about preventing stoves from tipping over, after this.

TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: What’s the one project that you would like to get done in the remainder of this year? Spring is just ahead. Great time to tackle projects both inside or outside your house before it gets too terribly hot. If you’ve got a project on your to-do list, slide it right over to ours by calling us, right now, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT and we will figure out the best way to get that project done.

LESLIE: Ann in Georgia, you are on the line with The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

ANN: Well, my house was built back in the 60s and I know now when they put up drywall, they use drywall screws.

TOM: Yep.

ANN: But back then, they used a hammer.

TOM: Yep. And nails, mm-hmm.

ANN: And I’ve got these dings on the walls and the ceiling. And I’ve tried to put spackle over the top of them and scrape it off and sand it and then paint it and there they are; they come right back again. Is there anything I can do to sort of cover it or do I have to take down all the drywall?

LESLIE: No, no. Are you sure it’s a hammer ding and not a nail pop? Does it seem like it’s raised or does it seem like it’s recessed?

ANN: They’re recessed.

TOM: They’re recessed. OK.

So, the solution here is spackling but it’s not just a one-shot thing. What you want to do is put multiple coats of spackle on, Ann. So you start – and you can go out to a home center or a hardware store and you can buy plastic spackle knives that are basically disposable.

So you start out with one that’s about 2 inches, then you go to one that’s about 4 or 5 inches, then you go with one that’s like 6- or 8-inches wide. And if you put on three layers like that, you’ll fill it in, it’ll be absolutely flat.

But you can’t just stop there. If you’re going to start doing this around the house, you’re going to have to repaint all of those surfaces and you should prime them first. Because if not, you’re going to get different absorption between the areas that were newly spackled and the old ones. And that will result in sort of like a weird kind of glazing or sort of shade difference with the way the paint kind of takes.

ANN: Oh, OK.

TOM: Alright? Now, if you have one that looks like it’s cracked – what Leslie was talking about are called “nail pops” – and frankly, that’s much more likely than the dents you’re describing, unless you just happen to have a really over-aggressive guy with a hammer that put that thing together back in the 60s.

LESLIE: Those dents are haunting you 50 years later.

ANN: I know.

TOM: Yeah. The nail pops, you could put another nail next to the one that’s sort of stuck out and drive it in. And that – the second nail will hold in the first nail. But remember, it’s really key that you sand, prime and paint to make this all go away.

And lastly, the type of paint you use is critical. Make sure you use flat paint; do not use anything with a sheen. Because when you put something with a sheen on a wall, any defect in the wall becomes magnified when the light hits it.

ANN: Well, that’s great advice.

TOM: Well, stoves can be a real danger zone for kids. And if you’d like to prevent accidental burns and fires, it’s real important that you pay attention to the angle of the pot and pan handles. They’ve got to be pushed away from the front of the stove. So always try to use those back burners and then turn the handles in so kids can’t possibly reach them, because they love to explore and you want to keep their hands away from those handles.

LESLIE: Yeah. And not only do they explore, they just run through the kitchen so quickly. So you have to make sure that you don’t have any of those handles hanging out where you can just have a potentially super-bad accident.

Now, another tip is to pull the knobs off of the stove when you’re not using them. Keep them nearby in a drawer. They come off very easily. You know, how many times does a kid brush by and maybe accidentally turns the knob and turns on the gas or turns on an electric burner? Whatever it might be, you’ve got to just take those extra precautions. And always teach the kids to stay away from you, stay away from Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, whoever is at the house when someone is cooking.

TOM: Now, also, here’s a tip that I think a lot of folks are not familiar with. If you’re putting in a new oven range, you want to make sure that you install the anti-tip brackets. Now, these are included now with all-new ranges and it’s a bracket that basically usually fits over the back legs of the stove. And when you push the stove – and it kind of locks the stove in place. It doesn’t lock it in the sense that you can’t pull it out again but it sort of traps it there so that if the kids were to open the oven door and climb up on it, the stove will not tip over. Because they are actually surprisingly unstable if you push down on an oven door. It could tip forward and fall over very easily.

So those tip brackets are really important to know about and to make sure that they are installed when it comes time to replacing that oven.

LESLIE: Joe in Illinois, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

JOE: I have a single-story house that’s got hot water. I’ve got a boiler with a hot-water heat baseboard. And about eight years ago, I had air – central air conditioning installed.

TOM: OK.

JOE: And when they did all that, they ran all the trunk lines up in the attic, put all my registers in the ceiling.

TOM: Yep. Mm-hmm.

JOE: And now the problem I have is during wintertime, I’m getting condensation. I’ll go around and shut those registers off but it’s not 100-percent shut-off on those registers, of course. And I’m getting condensation that’s forming up in my trunk line and I’m getting condensation dripping out of my registers, which – I’m starting to get some water stains on my ceiling, around my registers, from this.

TOM: Alright. So you have an energy problem. The problem is that those registers are so cold that when the warm, moist air from the house strikes them, it condenses. And so, you need additional insulation in the space above that. You may need to insulate in or around those ducts. You may need to wrap those ducts with additional insulation. You need to keep those ducts warmer and frankly, the bigger problem is one that you can’t see. If it’s that cold at your ceiling, you’re probably losing a lot of heat through that ceiling. So, I would get up in that attic space and take a look.

In your part of the country, having 15 to 20 inches of insulation is not unheard of and it is certainly a good idea.

JOE: Well, basically, I know when they put it in there, they laid those trunk lines right on top. I’ve got like 20 inches of blown fiberglass and they laid those trunk lines. I need to peel that fiberglass back, bury those trunk lines and insulate all around that real good.

TOM: I think that would make a lot of sense.

JOE: Sounds good, then.

TOM: Alright, Joe. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Hey, is your home improvement wish list bigger than your budget? Well, put a dent in it this month with some of the best deals of the year. We’ll tell you where to find them, when The Money Pit continues.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. We’d love to hear what you’re working on in your money pit. The number to call us is 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, the fast and easy way to find the right pro for any kind of home project, whether it’s a small repair or a major remodel.

LESLIE: Well, now that it’s wintertime, a lot of us have been feeling the chill this winter season, just like Alan in Pennsylvania has been. Now, Alan writes: “My replacement windows are about 10 years old. I noticed that they freeze or frost up about a ½-inch on the bottom of the window. Every year, the area seems to get a little bigger. Is this a moisture problem or a window problem or no problem at all?”

TOM: Sounds to me like it’s definitely a window problem. If the windows are freezing up on the bottom, it means that they’re not insulated. And especially if you’ve got thermal-pane windows, there may be the seal that broke between the panes of glass. And it’s not going to get any better. It will only vary based on the difference in temperature between outside and inside. If it’s warm and moist inside and it’s cold and freezing outside, that’s where you get the frost.

So, this is definitely an opportunity for you, Alan, to think about replacement windows. They’re a lot easier to install than you might think, because you don’t have to tear out the siding. They’re going to fit inside those existing openings. And if you buy good ones – you know, good ENERGY STAR-rated replacement windows – you’ll find that it’s going to make a huge difference in the comfort of your home going forward.

LESLIE: And just outside of the warmth that you’re going to get from the new windows, there’s so many great features that make them so much more fantastic to use. You can flip them down to clean them, you can tilt them open. Depending on what you pick, you’re going to find a lot of great, new stuff that you’re going to appreciate.

TOM: Well, do you have a boring bathroom but maybe no bucks to spruce it up? There’s actually a lot you can do on the cheap with paint. Leslie has that how-to, in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word.

LESLIE: It really is. It can make such a big difference. And there truly is no less expensive way to transform a bathroom or really any room in your house, for that matter, than with paint. And if you do it yourself, you can save even more. Now, here’s four ideas to get you started.

Stencil your ceiling. A lot of people think, “Oh, the ceiling, you just paint it white.” No, no, no, no, no. The ceiling is a totally underused canvas and you can create a really unexpected focal point. So, paint it in a contrasting color. That’s a great way to draw attention upward. Use a soft blush if you’re in a bedroom. Stencil the pattern on the ceiling. So many great options. Even paint the ceiling the same color as the walls. Why not? Make an entirely one-color room. You can totally do that.

Now, here’s another idea: create drama with some boldly-colored walls. Consider those saturated colors, like turquoise, terracotta, deep blues, deep grays, almost charcoal-y black greys, almost that green seaweed that’s so green it’s almost black. Those colors are so fantastic and can really change the look of a room. And you’d be surprised that that dark color can seem very, very crisp and fresh.

Now, here’s another idea: if you’ve got a little imagination and a paintbrush, you can actually paint a simple mural and add some pizazz to an otherwise ordinary bathroom. Now, keep in mind things like bare trees or blooms are easiest to master if you’re not exactly a Picasso. But you can find so many online tutorials and even Bob Ross. You can still catch him online somewhere and he’ll be painting happy, little trees. So can you. So take that time to create a beautiful, personal space in your bathroom with some creativity.

And now, here’s another idea: instead of replacing an outdated vanity, give it a makeover with paint and some new hardware. You’re going to find that the oil-based paint will work best in moist environments and it’s easier to clean. You just have to make sure that you’ve got some good ventilation in the room that you’re working on, since that oil-based paint does carry a lot of fumes. So you want to make sure that you protect yourself in the process.

TOM: Good advice.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Speaking of bathrooms, have you ever dreamed of having a futuristic bathroom, the kind that practically does everything for you? Well, coming up next time on the program, we’ll have tips on the cool, new gadgets that can help bring your bathroom into the 21st century.

But for now, that’s all the time we have. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

END HOUR 2 TEXT

(Copyright 2019 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)

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TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And we are here to help you with your décor projects, your remodeling projects, your questions about repairs that need to get done around your house or maybe just some help to plan some projects for the future. If you love your home like we love our home, give us a call, right now, and let’s talk about how to make it better. The number is 888-MONEY-PIT. You can also post questions online to the Community page at MoneyPit.com.

Coming up on today’s show, now that we’ve all paid, perhaps, our first big electric bill of the summer and been shocked by it in more ways than one, it was a good time to think about ways to reduce that. And it turns out that utility companies are often required to offer programs to help you use less of their product, which I think is great. You know, they’re paid to teach you how to spend less money with them. So, I think that’s fantastic. They may not love it but we’re going to review that program and give you some tips on how to take advantage of that savings, just ahead.

LESLIE: Plus, if you are a gardener, do you feel like you may be losing a battle against the bugs? Well, we’re going to have tips on an organic solution to control a wide variety of those critters and stop them from destroying your plants, in just a bit.

TOM: And you feel like your air conditioning just isn’t doing the job it should? We’ll share a trick of the trade you can use to test your A/C so you know exactly how well it’s performing. But first, we want to hear from you. Give us a call right now. Let’s talk about your house, your home, your apartment, your condo. Wherever you call home is where we call home. So give us a call, right now, with those questions at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Naomi in Pennsylvania, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

NAOMI: What I have is my backyard, over the past several years we’ve taken down a couple of major trees. They’ve died. And now, whenever it rains, pretty much I have standing water for a long period of time and it’s really nasty.

So, I’ve been looking online for ideas. I’ve gone to garden centers looking for plants that do well in standing water. And in the Northeast, we don’t have a long growing season, so a lot of the plants that I’m looking up don’t seem to be doing well.

So, other ideas my husband and I have kicked around are putting a floating deck, I see, that you can build out there?

TOM: Floating deck? That’s called a “raft.”

NAOMI: Yeah. Spring …

TOM: I don’t think you have to become Tom Sawyer here, Naomi, OK and build a raft to float down the river.

NAOMI: Well, my husband’s idea was to put stone all over.

TOM: How about this idea? How about if we drain the backyard of water? You like that idea?

NAOMI: Well, how do you go about doing that? We were not sure …

TOM: So, first of all, it sounds like the backyard is sloped in such a way that the water runs into it but doesn’t run out of it. Is that fair to say?

TOM: And then is an area below your house that’s slightly lower than the backyard?

NAOMI: After we bought the house, we found out it was built on a swamp, so everybody has drainage problems.

TOM: I’m pretty sure that you’re not looking at the water table there; you’re looking at some water that’s staying around. So here’s the solution: it’s called a “curtain drain.”

And what a curtain drain is is a trench that you construct from the part where the water is ponding to somewhere lower than that in the elevation. Now, the curtain drain is a trench that’s about 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep. You put in a couple of inches of stone, then you put in a perforated PVC pipe. And then you put more stone and some filter cloth and you cover it with soil so it’s completely invisible when it’s done.

But here’s what happens: as the water runs down to that area where it’s ponding now, it falls into the trench, it comes up into the pipe and then it runs down through the pipe and discharges at a lower area of your property. So you are essentially collecting the water, shooting it around the house and then discharging it somewhere at a lower elevation.

NAOMI: Does this require a backhoe or is this something that we can do with shovel and …?

TOM: No, you can do it with a shovel. And you don’t need much pitch either: you need about a ¼-inch a foot – per foot – on the pipe. So just as long as you get a nice, clean trench dug, you get the stone in there, you get the perforated pipe in there, it’ll work very well. And it’ll drain that yard whenever it fills up.

NAOMI: And I look for the wettest part of the yard to start it in and then I go to a – you said a ¼-inch per foot?

TOM: Foot, yeah. And you want to bring it down to someplace lower on the yard where you can discharge it. And the best thing to do is to discharge it to daylight; in other words, have the pipe actually pop out somewhere so the water can run out.

NAOMI: OK, great. Terrific. Thank you so much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Naomi. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Ben in Minnesota, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

BEN: I have a really old house, kind of like what you guys have, and it’s built in the early – probably early 1900s. Don’t know exactly. But it’s got a rock foundation and we’re in Southwest Minnesota, so the ground does freeze pretty deep.

And basically, the mortar between all of the rocks has pretty much turned to sand. Some places, they worked on re-tuckpointing it here and there. But it’s all kind of coming apart again and some of the rocks, especially on the corners, are even tipping out a little bit. So I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to fix that, if I need to dig down. I have access to equipment. I work in the HVAC business, so we have lots of equipment and I do lots of stuff on my own. So, just seeing if you guys had any pointers for me.

TOM: So, the foundation is damaged or you’re just concerned about the rocks that are sticking out?

BEN: Yeah, well, the foundation isn’t particular damaged; it’s actually pretty solid. It’s just that the mortar – since it’s so old, the mortar between all of the rocks has deteriorated to the point where it’s almost like sand. You know what I mean? And it just falls out from between the rocks.

TOM: So what you need to do is simply to repoint or replace that mortar. Pointing is the act of mixing up new mortar and pulling out the old stuff and then pressing new mortar into place.

And the type of mortar that you use for repointing is a little stickier than the mortar that would have been done originally. Usually, it has a bit more lime in it, which tends to make it a bit gooier and it sticks to the old stuff pretty well.

So, what you do is you work one section at a time. You do remove all that loose stuff and then you repoint it up with new mortar. And that’s pretty much normal maintenance with a 1900 foundation. You do have to eventually repoint a foundation like that; it’s not unusual. You can slow it down with proper drainage and things like that but essentially, that’s what we would expect, OK?

BEN: Right, OK. Perfect. Hey, thanks so much for your time and the advice.

TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Give us a call, let us know what you are working on.

Holy moly, July 4th is this week. Are you having a big party? Is your deck in tip-top shape? What are you cooking? Let’s talk about the grill first and foremost. Well, whatever it is, we are here to lend a hand. Give us a call to 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. You can find top-rated home service pros, compare prices and book appointments online, all for free.

TOM: 888-666-3974.

Up next, has your electricity bill reached new heights? We’ll have tips on how your own utility company can help you hand over less of your hard-earned cash to cover those costs, after this.

Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Give us a call, right now, on The Money Pit’s listener line at 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974 presented by HomeAdvisor.

LESLIE: You can get matched with top-rated home service pros in your area and compare prices, read verified reviews and book appointments online, all for free.

TOM: No matter what the type of job, HomeAdvisor makes it fast and easy to hire the best local pros. Give us a call, right now, because we’ve got a couple of local pros right here, behind the mics, ready to help you with your home improvement questions, 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Ollie (sp) in South Carolina has a painting and design question. What can we do for you?

OLLIE (sp): I’ve got paneling. I don’t know if it’s laminated paneling or not but it’s got little grooves in it all the way down and it’s darker than the other paneling itself. And I wanted to paint it. Do I have to do something to fill it in – lines or cracks or what you want to call it?

LESLIE: Now, the lines that you’re talking about, those are like the beading. It’s like a decorative feature; it’s supposed to be there. Is that what we’re talking about?

OLLIE (sp): Yeah.

LESLIE: OK. You don’t want to fill that in only because if you try to fill it in with joint compound or wood filler, it’s just going to dry out, crack, detach. It’s never going to last.

So you kind of have to think about it. Can you embrace the look of the paneling, as far as a core element but paint it a different color and love that vertical lining? Or do you just hate that so much that you want to sort of try to remove it or cover it up?

OLLIE (sp): No, I’d like to leave it if it would make a nice design, you know?

LESLIE: I personally like it. I think painted paneling can be very lovely in the right type of space with the right type of décor and if you choose a good color. Now, the fact that you don’t know whether it’s wood or laminate, that could be a little bit of a concern only because we want to make sure that you have good adhesion.

So if the finish on the paneling, right now, is a little bit glossy or has a shine to it, you want to use a product like a liquid sander. And that’s something that you just wipe on and it sort of abrades the surface.

First, I’d give it a good cleaning, then I’d lightly abrade it with a liquid sander. Then I would prime it and I would prime it well with a good-quality primer. And then once that’s done, I would paint it. And I really enjoy the look of a paneling that’s in a glossy white. But I think if you go with a neutral color and try not to get crazy and just sort of let it be a neutral background with a decorative detail in it, I think it’ll be great.

OLLIE (sp): I think it would look nice. But thank you. You have a good day.

TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Now we’re heading on over to Michigan where Roger has got a door problem. Tell us what’s going on at your money pit.

ROGER: Yeah, I have a mid-70s, ranch-style house. It has all maple doors on the interior. And we’re just putting paint on here for the first time. It’s been white all along and I’m putting color into it and these doors just don’t look right. And I wondered what kind of alternative I have to making them look different, besides swapping them out for six panels or whatever and exchanging it all out. But I don’t want to go to that expense.

TOM: OK. So the doors are wood doors. And have they ever been painted before or are they finished clear?

ROGER: No, they’re finished, though, with maple – they’re maple-pressed doors or whatever or – I don’t know what they called them back then but …

TOM: And so you say they don’t look right against the painted walls? Is that your concern?

ROGER: They might to somebody but I just – I’m doing the trim in bright white and it just doesn’t look right with the colors on the walls and everything.

TOM: Typically, you would not do the trim; the trim would be natural, as well.

ROGER: Well, it would have been, yeah, but that’s not how the house was originated. Yeah, that would be a way to do it is just change out the trim but that’s not …

TOM: Well, that’s a lot less work than changing out the doors. And you would have a lot of options if you were to change out the trim.

So, it may not look right to you because you have painted trim and you have a clear-finish door. But if the trim is really the missing perimeter to this that’s going to frame it all in there nicely, why don’t – you could do this. Why don’t you go pick up a couple of pieces of trim and lightly tack them around the door, without even taking off the old stuff. Just kind of stick it up there, step back, take a look at it and see if it starts to make more sense to you visually.

ROGER: That’s a good idea.

TOM: Alright? Take small steps that way.

And the other thing to keep in mind when you’re doing a project like this, Gene, is just remember once you paint, it’s going to look different. So that’s going to take a certain amount of getting used to.

ROGER: You’re right about that, also.

TOM: Alright? So, I would go out and pick up some trim, tack it up there, see how it looks. Maybe try a complimentary color? You could do a two-tone, something like that. And see if that does the trick for you, OK?

ROGER: That’s a good idea.

TOM: And good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

Well, was your last electric bill a huge shock? Believe it or not, your electric company actually wants you to save money and most have energy-saving programs for you to do just that.

LESLIE: That’s right. For example, some utilities help homeowners power down through periods of high demand with pricing plans that reward off-peak use. Plus, many utilities offer a menu of rebates on improvements that help you trim power or even go green at home. You want to ask your utility company if they have the option for smart metering, which tracks usage by time and then it adjusts those rates accordingly.

TOM: Now, you might also consider adding your own energy monitor. Now, these are pretty easy to use and easy to install. And they give you real-time info on energy use and cost. It’s kind of like the more you know about where the energy is going, the more you can see the ways you could save money on those costs. If you get that info, you’ll be able to trim back those bills once and for all.

888-666-3974. Give us a call right now. We’d love to chat with you about what you’re working on in your house. Whether it’s an energy-saving project or an improvement project, the number, again, is 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Next up, we’ve got Sue from New York who’s dealing with some moldy caulking. Tell us what’s going on.

SUE: I have a bathroom that has mold all over the caulking.

TOM: OK.

SUE: I’ve tried bleach and water but I was wondering if there’s something else I can do to get rid of the mold on the caulking.

TOM: Well, sometimes the mold really takes hold, literally, in the caulk and it grows into it and it discolors the caulk. So if you’ve cleaned it in those traditional ways, probably not going to come out. So I would recommend that you recaulk the bathroom tub. And let me tell you how to do that successfully.

First of all, you can purchase a product that’s called a “caulk softener.” It’s kind of like a paint softener or a paint stripper but it softens the caulk and makes it easy to get all of the old stuff out of the tub and the joint between the tub and the tile wall and so on. Then once you’ve got it all out of there and all cleaned up and dried out – and I like to wipe the wall with a bleach-and-water solution in between, just to make sure we’re killing any mold spores that are left behind.

The next thing that you’re going to do, Sue, is fill the tub with water. And you’re doing that because you’re going to kind of weight it down. And then once it’s filled, you can go ahead and recaulk that seam.

Now, the caulk that you use, make sure you use one that has a mildicide in it. So if you use a kitchen-and-bath caulk, it probably is going to have a mildicide. I know that the DAP products have an additive called Microban; I’m sure there’s others, as well. And then once that caulk dries, then you let the water out of the tub, because then it comes back up and compresses the caulk. And when you step in to take a shower, it doesn’t cause as much stress to that caulk seam between the tub and the wall and it stays in place.

So, again, if you’ve already cleaned it, it’s probably a foregone conclusion that you’re not going to be able to get that mold out of the old caulk. I would just replace it. It’s not a hard job and it’ll look really nice when you’re done, OK?

SUE: Very good. Thank you very much. I really appreciate all your help.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Next up, we’ve got Ray in North Carolina who’s dealing with a roofing problem. Tell us what’s going on at your money pit.

RAY: Make a long story short, I’m getting a new roof put on tomorrow, so I wanted to find out what questions to ask. I’ve already asked a lot, as you can imagine. But what is occurring right now is that I have very rotten fascia boards, if I’m pronouncing it correctly. And the gutters seem to leak a little bit, so I’m concerned. It seems to be two separate entities but when they put the roof on, what do I need to ask and what should I be looking for? This is – just so you know, it’s a – I believe it’s called a “dimensional roof.” You know, it’s kind of the upgraded dimensional shingles.

TOM: It’s a dimensional shingle. OK. Well, first of all, the first thing I’d check is the weather report; let’s make sure we’re not running into a lot of rain.

RAY: Yeah. Luckily, we’re in good shape on that end.

TOM: Alright, good. Good. Check. That’s good.

Now, next, are they taking off the old layer or are they putting a second layer?

RAY: Correct.

TOM: They’re taking it off. Good. That’s good.

So, what do you need to ask? Well, first of all, you want to ask them how they plan to dispose of the old shingles. I mean the right thing to do here is to put tarps around your house so that when they throw the shingles off the roof, you don’t end up with a million little pieces of this. So get their sort of plan and their cleanup plan for this.

In terms of that fascia, now that’s not uncommon. And typically, what happens is the gutters back up a little bit over the years and the water gets up there and it saturates against that fascia and it rots it out. Now is the time, however, to replace that. To do that, though, you need to take the gutters down, obviously.

RAY: Exactly. And my biggest question is is that I’ve heard various things. Basically, the roofer is saying it’s a separate situation. “We’ll do the roof first” – because it’s stupid to mess with the gutters, as far as he’s concerned – “because if you put new gutters up or whatever you do, it’s going to create a mess. So let’s do the roof first and then address the fascia and the gutters second.” Is that – does that sound proper?

TOM: It’s fine. You could do it all at once or you could do it separately.

RAY: Gotcha.

TOM: It just – one doesn’t affect the other. You can put the roof on with the old gutters or the new gutters. But one more thing I’m going to suggest to you and that is instead of putting wood back up as a fascia, take a look at a product called AZEK – A-Z-E-K.

RAY: A-Z-E-K?

TOM: A-Z-E-K, right.

RAY: OK.

TOM: It’s an extruded PVC material. It’s air-entrained so it kind of looks like it has sort of a wood structure to it but it’s made of PVC. So it doesn’t rot, bugs won’t eat it and you’ll never have to deal with this again. And you can paint it.

RAY: And if they put it up properly, it should last, so to speak, forever?

TOM: Forever, exactly.

RAY: Very good. Well, that’s a good idea.

LESLIE: Alright. Thanks so much for calling The Money Pit.

Just ahead, if you’re a gardener, do you feel like you’re losing a battle against the bugs? We’re going to have some tips on an organic solution to stop bugs from destroying your plants, just ahead.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Well, now that we’re getting deep into summer, the bugs might be getting deep into your lawn and garden. A great way to control those insects, though, is with a product called Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. Great stuff. It’s made by Bonide, who’s been helping homeowners and pros alike, for like 90 years, grow beautiful lawns and gardens. With us to talk about that is Jim Wood with Bonide.

Hey, Jim.

JIM: Hello, Tom. How are you? Thanks for having me.

TOM: Hey, it’s my pleasure. Thanks for taking some time. You answer a lot of questions for folks about all of the Bonide products. And the thing that I thought was interesting about Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew is it’s great for organic gardens, which is so popular these days. Talk to me about it.

JIM: Yeah, that’s for sure.

It’s an all-natural insecticide, Tom, that contains Spinosad. And it’s highly effective against leaf-eating and sucking insects that are troublesome in many vegetable gardens and ornamental flower beds.

TOM: Yeah. And that’s definitely – you definitely want to be concerned about what you’re putting on the food that you’re growing to eat, as opposed to the greenery you’re growing just to admire, right? So people need to be particularly careful about this.

Now, Spinosad, you said it’s an all-natural insecticide. And it actually covers a pretty wide range of insects, so it seems like a very good solution.

JIM: Yes, it is. It does cover quite a few different insects, you know: insects such as bagworm, tomato hornworm, cabbage looper, leaf miners, borers. Does a phenomenal job on bagworms, which are a common problem in many areas of the country. And it does a great job on thrips, which is an insect that most people don’t realize they have. But it’s highly effective against that particular insect.

TOM: Those tomato hornworms, we had a run-in with them. And I always think that they look like miniature dragons.

JIM: Yeah, that’s for sure. And they do tend to get a little on the large size.

TOM: And they can really devour your tomato plants, so that’s great.

Now, if you’re applying this particular product – we’re talking about Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew – are there some options? Is it a liquid? Is it a powder? How does it work?

JIM: Well, it – this particular product’s available as a dust. So when someone uses a dust product, it’s ready to use right out of the container.

TOM: OK.

JIM: It’s also available in a liquid ready-to-use formulation. And it’s also available in hose-end, which is one where they just hook up their hose and spray it on the plants that they want to spray. And then also available in a concentrate, if they have large areas that they need to treat.

TOM: So it really depends on the size of area that you want to treat and I guess, also, of course, weather conditions. With the dust version, you want to be conscious of the wind direction. And perhaps, if you’ve just got a small area to treat, that might be a good option. But as you say, with the ready-to-use formulations, you have the option to apply it in a wide range, as well.

Now, what time of day is it wise to apply a product like this? Is it an early-morning thing?

JIM: Tom, in the instance of a dust, the ideal time to apply that would be early in the morning, when there’s dew or right after a rain, that type of thing, so it adheres to the foliage.

TOM: OK. So it sticks? Right.

JIM: But the overall common denominator, when you apply a pesticide like this insecticide, is to apply it late in the day when there’s not many pollinators visiting the plant. So, late in the day, late in the evening, that would be ideal.

TOM: So when we talk about pollinators, we’re talking about bees and other insects that might be beneficial?

JIM: Yeah, bees and other beneficial insects, yes.

TOM: Now, is this a product that can be used inside? Or is it strictly an outside product?

JIM: This is strictly an outside product, Tom. It has an outdoor-use label and it has no houseplants on the label, so the homeowner should only use this for outdoor plants.

TOM: Talking to Jim Wood – he’s an expert with Bonide Products; they’ve been making products for over 90 years to help us grow beautiful lawns and gardens – about Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew.

So, Jim, what are some of the questions that you will get this time of year here that we’ve kicked off summer and folks are starting to see these gardens bloom and their lawns get green? What are kind of questions that you guys get at Bonide HQ that folks are struggling with?

JIM: Well, we find that at this time of year, albeit a little bit of a late start to the spring and summer season, we’re finding a fair amount of insect questions and also disease questions. And there’s a variety of products that we sell that can take care of these particular insects and diseases. And it’s just a matter of identifying them properly so we can make the right recommendation on products.

But as we get into the summer season, Captain Jack’s turns out to be a pretty good insecticide for controlling a wide array of insects.

TOM: The product called Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. It’s made by Bonide Products. You can learn more at Bonide.com. That’s B-o-n-i-d-e.com.

Jim Wood, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

JIM: Thank you, Tom. Take care now.

LESLIE: Still ahead, is your air conditioner doing a good job with keeping up to the demand or is it an energy-waster? We’re going to share a simple test that can give you the answer, next.

TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Give us a call, right now, with your home improvement question at 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, the fast and easy way to find the right pro for any kind of home project, whether it’s a small repair or a major remodel.

LESLIE: Now we’ve got Johanna from Michigan who wants to get out and enjoy the deck. How can we help you with that project?

JOHANNA: Hey. We’re getting ready to put a deck on the back of our house. It’s going to be about 20×20. And we’re looking at the composite products and in doing some research, I have come across some hair-raising images of black mold, chipping, cracking, crumbling and so on. And I would just like to get your opinion on the composite decking and if it truly holds up the way it says it does or if there are things we need to look out for.

TOM: I think it absolutely does hold up. Originally, the very first composite products that were out there had wood fiber in them, as well as the plastics. And the wood fiber would tend to grow sometimes algae and things like that and people didn’t like that.

I think it’s a perception issue. If you think that there is zero maintenance – “I’m never going to have to do anything at all” – you’re not going to find any product like that. Because even though it’s composite, it’s going to get dirty, it may grow a bit of algae and need to be cleaned once in a while. But realistically, I think it’s going to stand up a lot better than pressure-treated.

Just give you an example. My son recently completed his Eagle Scout project about a year ago. And his project was to build a 30-foot bridge across a stream. And we chose, for that project, composite decking. This is going to be in a park, it’s going to get lots and lots and lots of foot traffic. That’s been up now for a year and it still looks as good as the day we put it down.

So, I think composite is a good choice. Stick with a name brand; stick with Trex, for example. Good product, good history. And I think it’s going to cut down on the maintenance overall and it’s going to look terrific at the same time. And you won’t have to paint it and stain it and all that.

Now, you realize that you do – the framing of this is all done through standard pressure-treated, right?

JOHANNA: Right, right. And we will have benches and stuff built in and we’re going to use, I think, cedar for that.

TOM: OK. Well, I mean you can use composite for the built-in benches, too. Anything that’s going to be exposed like that, there’s no reason not to use the composite.

JOHANNA: And it’s a very sunny area, so …

TOM: Yeah, if you have a lot of sun, you really won’t have a lot of problems with mildew and algae growth, because the sun is a very natural mildicide. It’s usually the real shady decks that have the issues.

JOHANNA: Yeah. The images I saw were from ‘07, ‘08. So it made me think, too, maybe there was a bad run at that time?

TOM: And you know what? Composite has changed in the last five years, too.

JOHANNA: OK. Well, good. Thank you very much.

TOM: Alright, Johanna. Good luck with that project and let us know when the party is, OK?

JOHANNA: Hey, it’s next Friday.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

JOHANNA: Thanks.

LESLIE: So is your A/C on but your house just doesn’t seem to be getting cool? Well, there’s a quick and easy way to check if everything is working OK without calling in a pro.

TOM: Yep. All you need to do is take a thermometer, like a refrigerator thermometer, and then measure the airflow at the supply duct and then the return duct. Now, try to choose ducts that are nearest the blower, because they’re going to be the strongest. The temperature difference between the two should be between 12 and 20 degrees. If it’s not, your system may not be running efficiently and probably needs refrigerant. And that can be added by your local HVAC pro. But if it’s closer to that 12 degree mark – I’ve seen it 8, 10, 12 – just think about it: your A/C system has to run a lot longer to cool the house. And the longer it runs, the more it costs you. So, making sure that that system is cooling properly is key to cutting back on cooling costs.

LESLIE: Alright. Now up, we’ve got Paul calling in from Tennessee who’s got an issue with a water pump. Tell us what’s going on.

PAUL: I’m getting some air in this well water. The well is six-and-a-half years old, as is the house. And it goes down 350 feet and the casing goes down 105 feet where they grouted it. When they first put it in, I was bothered by the amount of turbidity I had in it and I was changing the whole-house filter about once a week.

And I went back to the drilling company and they said, “Well, it would take about three months to quit that.” Well, it was 36 months. And then after about four years, I started getting some water hammer in the cold water, particularly in the basement. Although upstairs, it’ll do it, too.

But then I’m getting air out of the faucets upstairs and it’s collecting air from somewhere and I can’t figure out where. And as far as I know, the well tank, with the bladder in it – the 40 pounds of air pressure hold the bladder. That seems to be OK, Tom.

TOM: OK. Yeah, that was the first thing I was going to think: that if you had a leak in that bladder tank, that that would cause that. Other possible causes are bad siphons but I’m not quite sure how you could test that without having all the gear that you would need.

Have you had the well company come back and take another look at this, specifically for the air-bubble problem?

PAUL: No. Because it’s been quite a while and they – the guy they used to have there at the company, in the daytime, didn’t seem to know much about it. In fact, when he told me 3 months it was going to clear up and it was 36 months, I thought, “Maybe I’m talking to the wrong guy.” But I haven’t gotten a hold of him.

TOM: Yeah. Well, he told you 3 months because his warranty was 90 days, right?

PAUL: Yeah.

TOM: Paul, obviously, we’re getting air into that system and if it’s not coming through the bladder tank, I’m not quite sure where it’s coming in. And I think you’re going to have to get a well expert there – a real expert – that understands these things and try to see if there’s any way they can determine exactly how that air is getting in.

Do you have another well company that you might try?

PAUL: Yeah, there’s several of them here because this area is very rural. We’re right at the edge of the Smokies.

TOM: I would try another well company, because you didn’t have good luck with the first one, and see if you can get to the bottom of it. But I agree with you: if it’s not the tank, it more than likely is the pump.

PAUL: OK. Well, very good. And thank you. I will try someone here local, then, and see if they can build (ph) it out.

TOM: Alright, Paul. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Alright. Now we’ve got Ed in Tennessee on the line who has a question about a crawlspace. How can we help you today?

ED: I’m thinking about putting my dogs in my crawlspace. I’ve got a large crawlspace and I was wanting to – they’re big dogs and I was going to take and build beds out of treated lumber and put shavings in them – cedar shavings. And just wondering if there’s something I haven’t thought about doing that, if there’s a downside to it.

TOM: Well, are they housetrained? Are they going to treat the crawlspace like the backyard, so to speak?

ED: They’re housetrained.

TOM: As long as they’re going to keep it clean down there, my friend, I don’t see any reason why you might not want to do that. It certainly will be cool and comfortable for them in that space in the summer.

ED: That’s what I was thinking, so …

TOM: You know, it’s pretty much like leaving them outside except they’ve got a little shade.

ED: Right.

TOM: But as long as they’re not going to cause any problems in there and use it as a bathroom, then I wouldn’t worry about it.

ED: Alright. Well, thank you very much.

LESLIE: Alright. Thanks so much for calling The Money Pit.

Well, roof leaks, they can be tough to fix. But leaks around your chimney can be even worse, especially since they’re usually repaired in all the wrong ways. We’re going to talk you through the step-by-step to fix chimneys the right way, after this.

TOM: Where home solutions live, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Pick up the phone and call us, right now, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, where you can find top-rated home pros, compare prices and book appointments online, all for free.

And hey, online, right now at MoneyPit.com, we’ve got a great post on the top five ways to reduce hurricane damage. You can check that out and learn how to keep your home and your family safe. That’s online, right now, at MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: Alright. And while you’re learning about keeping your family safe, post your question. We’ll help you out with whatever it is you are working on.

And Jen from Oregon posted in the Community section. She writes: “After an especially bad rainstorm, water started leaking into the ceilings and walls around the chimney. I called a contractor out who suggested sealing the chimney area with silicone. My roof’s in good shape and only five years old. Does this seem like the right fix?”

TOM: No. Because what happens is contractors try to repair these chimneys by putting more sealant on them. Typically, if that chimney flashing is going to leak, it probably wasn’t put on right in the first place. Chimney flashing should be a two-piece …

LESLIE: Or sometimes not at all.

TOM: Yeah. It should be a two-piece system. It should be a base flashing that goes under the roof shingles and up against the side of the chimney and then a counterflashing, which goes into the mortar joints of the chimney and then over that base flashing. You need that because they’re going to move differently. The chimney is going to expand and contract differently than the roof, especially with the wind, which actually can move a chimney, as well. So if that chimney flashing is not assembled properly, you will get leaks. And by sealing it, you’re just delaying the inevitable, which is more leaks.

So I say take the flashing off and redo it. And this way, it’ll never leak again.

LESLIE: Now, wait a second. You said the chimney actually moves in the wind? Is it supposed to?

TOM: Yeah, it actually does. I’ll tell you, as a home inspector, sometimes up on a – I was up on a roof kind of grabbing a chimney to check a few things. And if I didn’t – if I wasn’t careful, I could actually push it away from the house. So, yeah, they do move a little bit. You’d be surprised. But they expand and contract and the wind moves them. And that’s why that flashing joint is designed to move. And if it’s just sealed it place, it’s going to break free and then leak again.

Would you like an easy way to spruce up your patio this summer? Leslie tells us how to create a unique area rug that totally stands up to the weather, in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word.

Leslie, rugs aren’t usually something you can put outside but this one you can.

LESLIE: Yeah. You know what? And this is project I really, really love. It’s definitely a confidence booster. If you don’t feel like you’re super crafty or that talented of an artist, there are ways to create this project and be super successful with very limited skills. I’m talking about a painted rug that you can do right outside on your concrete patio.

Now, first of all, you’ve got to make sure that surface is prepped. Because if you paint a dirty surface, it’s never going to last and it’s just going to wear off. And you want to really create something that’s going to stay. So to clean it, you want to mop it with one cup of vinegar per one cup of water and then spray it away with the hose. Now, once that’s all dried off, you want to mark off the area that you’re creating this faux rug with painter’s tape. And make sure you get those lines straight and sort of create that perimeter.

Now, you can go ahead and use concrete paint. And you get it at most home improvement stores and you can tint it to any color that you want. So go ahead and paint that background color first and then let it dry overnight. Of course, you want to do this when you know the forecast isn’t calling for rain for a couple of days so it has time to really dry and really set.

Then you go ahead and add the detail to the rug. Now, this could be as simple as using stencils to create the design. Or if you’re a little bit more crafty and arty, you can hand-paint something. I mean if you Google “rugs,” go ahead and look at all the different types of rugs out there. Find patterns you like, find colors you like. You can find inspiration right there and then you can go ahead and create that look for your own home. Once it’s all done, you want to finish it with three coats of a water-based polyurethane and let it dry completely.

Once you’re done, that drab slab of concrete is now a complete, unique focal point and you’re going to love it. Everybody else is going to be so, so thrilled with your end result.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Coming up next time on the program, we are in hurricane season right now. And even if you’re not in a hurricane area, there are an awful lot of severe storms rolling around the country. So here’s a question: if an emergency is declared, will your home be ready to go? Can you get out quick? We’re going to explain exactly how to do just that, on the next edition of The Money Pit.

I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

END HOUR 2 TEXT

(Copyright 2018 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)

Related product

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Here to help you with your home improvement projects, your do-it-yourself dilemmas. What do you have planned? What’s on the docket for 2019? Is there a project you’d like to get done? Would you like to make your home more comfortable, more energy-efficient? Are you planning some décor improvements? Maybe you’re looking forward to some spring updates outside: adding a deck, adding a patio? Just sprucing up the place? Whatever is on your to-do list, we’d love for you to swing it over to ours by picking up the phone and calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

We’re kind of like your coaches. We’re your supporters. We’re your fan club. We’re here to cheer you on, give you the tips and the advice that you need to get that job done, whether you’re doing it yourself or whether you’re hiring a pro.

Now, speaking of hiring a pro, I had an experience, Leslie, a couple of weeks back.

LESLIE: Yeah?

TOM: And I wanted to buy a solar-energy system for my home. And you would think that it should be pretty easy to do. But the problem is, I’ve decided, is that it’s just not. It is amazing how many so-called solar experts are out there. And they’re using high-pressure, confusing sales tactics to kind of double-talk you into a system that is just not the right fit for your house.

We’re going to help you, because I went through this experience personally. We’re going to help you cut through the tips and talk about a DIY solar option that’s available now, that can help you put together the perfect system for your house at a cost that’s about 40 to 80 percent less than what those solar companies are charging.

LESLIE: Wow. That’s huge.

TOM: I loved sitting in on these presentations, because one of the advantages of being on the radio is that they don’t always recognize me, you know? And as long as I don’t talk much, they don’t know that they’re talking to somebody who knows a little bit about how these houses get put together.

And this guy was nuts. He had pitched a system for our roof. And I said, “Well, we have this detached garage.” He says, “Oh, we can put panels there,” and promptly doubled the system so he could sell more to me. I’m like, “That’s not the way this is done. You figure out what you need to put on and then you work within the available space.” Just because I had a second roof didn’t mean that I need to double the number of collectors.

And it was stuff like that and there was a lot. But they give you all kinds of double-talk and I just figured out that there’s a much better way to do it. We’ll share those tips, in just a bit.

LESLIE: Alright. And also ahead this hour, I know a lot of people don’t think about decorating because they can’t figure out how to hang the things on their walls. So, before you get overwhelmed, we’re going to help you out with whatever surface you plan on drilling into. We’re going to share a tried-and-true way to secure all of those wall hangings securely and safely.

TOM: And if you’re a renter, did you know that your possessions may not be covered by the building’s insurance? We’re going to tell you how to make sure you have what you need should your home or apartment be damaged.

LESLIE: Plus, if you’ve already seen your share of slippery sidewalks and driveways, you’re going to love this hour’s giveaway. We’ve got, up for grabs, a supply of the new liquid, Entry Ice Melt, and a 1-gallon sprayer. Plus, it’s chloride-free, which means it’s not going to break up your concrete surfaces in the process.

TOM: That package is worth 45 bucks. Going out to one listener who reaches us with their call. You can reach us by phone to 888-MONEY-PIT, you can post on social media or through The Money Pit’s Community page at MoneyPit.com. So let’s get to it. That number, again: 888-666-3974.

NADINE: Yes, it does. We had it installed, I would say, between three and five years ago. And right after we had this Corian counter installed, we started getting very sharp, loud bangs occasionally. And I mean like somebody-just-shot-up-the-house bangs. And it has been going on since we had it installed, to varying degrees. Louder sometimes than others.

But they’ve been out to check and can’t figure it out and I don’t – the only unusual thing that happened when they put it in was that one corner didn’t want to go down, so the guy had to put his full weight on it to push it down and finally make it go down. And my feeling is – or something must be bound in there that every once in a while builds up enough energy to really snap.

TOM: Well, that’s certainly an unusual situation, because countertops aren’t known for their noise.

NADINE: Well, I doubt that it’s the countertop. My feeling is something might be bound in there, having been caused by having the countertop put on.

TOM: Well, you might be correct and what could be happening is that you could have expansion and contraction going on, either with the walls or even with the plumbing. Especially with the water being right there, when a pipe heats up it tends to expand. And if it’s attached to the framing very, very tightly, it will rub across that framing and it can make a creaking sound or a banging sound.

NADINE: OK.

TOM: And I’ve heard that before in bathrooms and also in kitchens.

NADINE: OK.

TOM: The other thought is that if the countertop is bound, as you say, against part of the frame of the house and you’re getting expansion and contraction, that could be the source of the sound. Although, I tend to think that, even though it’s annoying, it probably isn’t really very damaging if it’s one of the other of those things.

NADINE: No, I don’t think it is damaging at all. It’s just that when you have guests and their eyes get wide and they start to go for the floor, you think maybe – I mean it is quite loud when it does it. So you think it could possibly be plumbing?

TOM: It could very well be, because plumbing really carries the sound. And especially if you’re running a dishwasher and the hot water comes on, that could cause a noise.

NADINE: However, we’ve kind of checked that out – what’s on, what’s running and all of that – and that doesn’t seem to come into play. What would your suggestion be as to sleuthing this problem out?

TOM: Well, I guess I would have to be sitting there staring at it, thinking about it for a long time. But reinstalling the countertop would probably be the best solution, although it’s a boatload of work and you can potentially damage the countertop in the process. If they had to really squeeze it in, I suspect that something is a little bit too tight in its intention and it’s really not designed to be pulled out.

NADINE: Yeah. Alright. Thanks so much.

LESLIE: How do you know it’s winter? Well, Ken in Wisconsin is dealing with ice and snow in the gutters.

Ken, sorry you are dealing with this weather. How can we help you today?

KEN: Well, what I’ve got is I’ve got a ranch-style home. I put an addition on and since I put the addition on, now, when I get snow – we had this snow – I got about 8 inches on the roof but now I’ve got an ice buildup in the gutters and it’s now backed up a little bit. And I’ve got icicles probably 4 or 5 foot long and I’m afraid it’s going to back up into the house. How do I stop that or is there a way to get it melted and get rid of it?

TOM: OK. So, this is an addition and it’s only happening on the addition and it’s not happening on the main house?

KEN: No, it’s happening on the main house and the addition.

TOM: Both. OK. So, this is what is known as ice damming. And the reason ice dams happen is because warm air gets up into your attic space around sort of the middle of your house, because you don’t have enough insulation. And then it heats the roof right above the heated space of the house and that lets the snow melt. And then the snow washes down the roof edge until it gets to that line of about – right above the exterior wall. That’s when it starts to get a lot colder and starts to form ice. And then more snow melts, more ice forms, more snow melts, more ice forms. So, that’s what’s happening; that’s the reason this is happening.

How can we stop this? Well, a few things. First of all, it’s a good idea to take a look at your level of insulation. And in your part of the country, you really should have 15 to 20 inches of insulation if not a bit more. Adding insulation will stop the ice dams from forming, because you won’t have as much water running down your roof all at once and freezing at the roof edge.

The second thing that you can do is take a look at the ventilation. If you have good ventilation that goes in the soffit, up under the roof sheathing and out like, for example, at a ridge vent, again, that ventilation stops the difference in temperature across that particular area.

Remember, we’re holding the heat at the ceiling of the house. Above the insulation, in a perfect world, we want that to actually be the same temperature as the outside. Because if it is, you’re not going to have this disproportional melting of snow up higher on the roof and that water running down and freezing at the roof edge.

KEN: I’m guessing we have – nothing was a problem until I put the addition on. I wonder if they didn’t put enough insulation in the addition and that’s where I’m having an issue.

TOM: It may very well have been – that’s why I was trying to figure out if it happens all the way around or just the addition, because I was kind of thinking the same thing myself.

Now, the other thing that you can do is – and of course, you can’t do it now when your roof is full of ice. But there are heating coils that are designed to go at a roof edge but it’s not the solution. It’s a temporary solution, if anything. And of course, it’s expensive to run and it’s expensive to buy and install. But sometimes in commercial buildings or restaurants, hotels where they want to be sure that none of the ice is going to fall and hurt somebody, you’ll see these electric coils right above those areas for this purpose: to kind of melt the ice and turn it back to water and be done with it. So, that’s an opportunity for you.

But again, I would rather see you put the insulation in. Because besides stopping the ice from forming, you’re going to lower your heating costs, which are going to be astronomical if you don’t have enough insulation. So take a look at the insulation, take a look at the ventilation. I think your solution lies right there.

KEN: I will do that. I appreciate the advice.

TOM: Good luck, Ken. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. Give us a call this first weekend of the new year. What are you working on? Are you trying to get things in shape? Are you getting rid of the tree? Are you getting yourself in shape? I can’t help you with that but I can help you make the bathroom look really pretty and get you a nice, skinny mirror. That’s what I can contribute for the new year.

Well, whatever it is you are working on, give us a call. We’re here to lend a hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week right here at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

TOM: 888-666-3974.

Up next, would you like to add a solar-energy system to your home and spend 40- to 80-percent less than what typical solar companies charge? You can if you do the project yourself. We’ll share the details on a site that provides the expertise and equipment to help you get it done, after this.

Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Pick up the phone, give us a call, right now, with your home improvement question, your do-it-yourself or décor dilemma at 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.

And if, hey, you’ve already seen perhaps your share of slippery sidewalks this winter, you’re going to love this hour’s giveaway because we’ve got a supply of a very cool, new product called Entry Ice Melt.

It’s a liquid and it comes with a 1-gallon sprayer. It’s going out to a listener that’s drawn at random. And I like it because it’s very easy to use. It’s a clear liquid. It’s chloride-free, so it doesn’t track messes inside and it’s much safer for pets and surfaces and the planet.

And speaking of surfaces, it’s really great for concrete surfaces. So you’re not going to be calling us in a couple of months, complaining about the fact that your concrete’s all busted up because you used rock salt. This is a great product and a little goes a long way. Actually, a ½-gallon is equal to about 50 pounds of rock salt, in terms of what it does.

So, you can learn more about the product at ChlorideFree.com. You can stock up on Amazon but right now, we’re giving this deicing bundle out to one lucky listener drawn at random. Make that you. That number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Jean has a question about her heating-and-cooling system. Tell us what’s going on at your money pit.

JEAN: I have a five-year-old, high-efficiency furnace with the PVC pipe that comes out for the intake and the exhaust. And at the first joint – it’s about a 45-degree angle. And we noticed that that joint wasn’t totally sealed. But our question is – we noticed that there was condensation dripping out of that joint. So if we seal it, will that condensation go into our furnace and cause damage? We’re not sure what we should do with it.

TOM: How old is this furnace?

JEAN: Five years.

TOM: What’s the efficiency of the furnace?

JEAN: In the 90s.

TOM: I ask you this because some furnaces are designed to trap the condensation and pump it out. And so if you have a condensing furnace, then that might not be as much of an issue.

Because what happens with those high-efficiency systems is they put the exhaust gases out at such a low temperature, that they quickly turn from gas back to water. And then the moisture drains back through the vent pipe, gets caught by a condensate system and then pumped out.

So have you had it serviced this winter yet?

JEAN: Not this winter.

TOM: Yeah, you really need to do it every year because the fact that the gas burns, it burns dirty and then you get combustion deposits on the burners. And then they can become inefficient. They’re wasting money and potentially be dangerous. So, I would address this with the service contractor when he comes out to do your service, which you’re going to call for tomorrow, OK? You want to make sure you get that done because it’s important, every winter, to have a heating system serviced.

JEAN: OK. Thank you.

TOM: Alright. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

You know, buying a solar-energy system for your home to cut energy costs seems like it should be pretty easy to do. But the problem I found is it’s just not.

Now, I tried and I was shocked to find out how many of these so-called solar experts are out there. And they’re using high-pressure, confusing sales tactics and they’re trying to double-talk you into systems that are just not right for you or right for the house.

The pitch is nuts. They pitch you systems you can buy, systems you can lease. They pitch you power-purchase agreements, tax credits, energy-renewal credits. Basically, they leave you so dazed and confused, Leslie, you don’t know which way to go. It’s really too much.

LESLIE: Yeah. I mean it really is very overwhelming. That’s why we’re really glad that the guys from WholesaleSolar.com reached out to us. Now, these guys are straight shooters. They’re experts in their fields and they offer do-it-yourself solar systems. Yeah, I totally said it: DIY. And why not? It’s really not that difficult.

Now, the experienced pros over at Wholesale Solar can create a perfectly-designed system, with wholesale pricing, that you install and save money. Their solar systems cost homeowners an average of $5,000 to $10,000 and that’s 40- to 80-percent less than those installed systems.

TOM: Now, I know some of you are thinking, “There is no way that I’m climbing up a ladder to do this myself.” Understood. We get it. We don’t want you to be unsafe. If that’s you, Wholesale Solar can also help you find a local installer that’ll help and you will still save money.

Look, if the thought of having a tiny electric bill every month is attractive, go to WholesaleSolar.com. Check out their informative guides. This is one of the nicest sites I’ve ever seen. They’ve got really well-done videos and guides and posts. And you can talk to one of their technicians. They’re super knowledgeable. They can answer all your questions. They can help you put together a system that is perfect for your home, with wholesale pricing on the quality solar equipment that you need to get the job done.

LESLIE: Yeah. And right now, they’re even offering Money Pit listeners a 10-percent discount on the purchase of equipment. Just remember to tell them that you heard about them on The Money Pit. Plus, you may also be able to claim a 30-percent federal tax credit.

TOM: You know, we always say you could do it yourself but you don’t have to do it alone. Go to WholesaleSolar.com and then call and mention The Money Pit to get 10-percent off and free yourself of high electricity bills once and for all.

LESLIE: Frank in Rhode Island is on the line with a wiring question. What’s going on at your money pit?

FRANK: I live in a Colonial farmhouse – a Cape, really – and it’s the oldest house in Chepachet. It was built in 1753 by a Revolutionary War patriot. And I’m having a problem with radio interference.

Historically, there seems to be three overlays of wiring there. There is the old knob-and-tube, there’s some cable, there’s something recently that was put in and I know even more recent than that, it was modified – the panel was modified so we can put an electric stove in here. And if it’s a wiring issue – I’m not sure it is. I have three radios and one of them is a battery-powered radio and it’s still getting this interference. It started about two months ago and it seems to be more on the AM dial but at certain times, it’s on both dials.

TOM: The first thing I would suspect is it has something to do with grounding that has gone bad. Perhaps the grounding for your main electric panel would be a place to start, because usually it’s grounding or shielding that when you get a bad ground, that it causes that kind of a static. But I think the first thing you need to do is make sure that it isn’t something, in fact, in the house and not something that’s caused by an outside source.

So I would pay attention to the quality of the signal. Maybe if you choose one station to compare to and you try that in the house and out of the house, in the car and see if it really is getting worse around the house. And then if that’s the case, I suspect it might have something to do with the grounding at your main electric panel.

FRANK: Makes a lot of sense and I thank you.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Hey, have you ever wanted to hang a picture or even some sort of wall art but you weren’t exactly sure what kind of wall you’d be nailing into?

TOM: Or what kind of picture-hanging hardware would make sure that project doesn’t come crashing down, most importantly, right?

TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Pick up the phone and give us a call right now. We’re here to help you with your home improvement projects at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Dot in Wisconsin, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

DOT: I was wondering which would be the best paint to paint on the outside of the house, on the windows and the door trim, that would last a long time and it would weather properly.

TOM: Dot, what is the condition of the trim right now on the doors and windows? Is it flaky?

DOT: Not very good.

TOM: OK. So, what you have to do first, Dot, is get rid of the old paint. You’ve got to sand that or wire-brush that, because you cannot put good paint over bad paint, if that makes sense. And once you’ve got that sanded and the loose paint is removed, the next thing to do – the best thing to do would be to apply a primer, which is a type of paint that sort of provides the adhesion and the coverage. So you put the primer coat on first, then you put the exterior paint over that.

And it doesn’t really matter so much to me what type of exterior paint you choose, as long as it’s a name manufacturer. But I do want to see you remove the loose paint, put the primer on next and then put the topcoat over that. And that will give you the best setup for a long-lasting paint job. Done well, your paint project should last you, easily, five to eight years.

Dot, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: It’s not unusual to hit a wall, so to speak, somewhere between actually framing a picture and then putting it on the wall.

TOM: That’s right. Hanging pictures can be daunting, especially if they’re heavy. But no matter what surface you’re drilling into, there’s a tried-and-true way to secure your wall hanging safely. Here to tell us more is This Old House general contractor Tom Silva.

Hey, Tom.

TOM SILVA: Hi, guys. Nice to be here.

TOM: Thanks for hanging around with us. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

TOM SILVA: Oh, that’s a good one, Tom.

TOM: There’s so many different types of walls out there, from exposed brick to traditional drywall to surfaces that are covered in tile. How does the material drive what you actually use to hang the picture?

TOM SILVA: Well, the fastener, as you may think, is probably the most important part when you want to hang a picture. You don’t want that picture falling down. So you’ve got to think about whether it’s going to be a nail, whether it’s going to be a screw, a toggle, a moggle, a molly or whatever you want to call it.

TOM: Right.

TOM SILVA: It’s got to be able to hang the picture that you want.

TOM: Now there’s always a difference between where you want the picture and where the picture ends up on the wall sometimes.

TOM SILVA: Yeah, that’s right.

TOM: Any tricks of the trade for getting that picture aligned properly?

TOM SILVA: Well, eyeballing it is pretty good if you have an eye for it.

TOM: Right.

TOM SILVA: But most people don’t. So, marking it with a level, positioning them on the wall with first having a couple people hold them, say, “Do I like them there? Is it too high, too low?” But you’ve got to get them right and then you’ve got to then figure out the distance from the cable or the hook to the pin that you want to put on the wall.

TOM: Maybe even mark it off with painter’s tape or something like that.

TOM SILVA: Painter’s tape is a great way to do it.

TOM: Now, let’s talk about some of the fastening options. The easiest, of course, would be if you’re dealing with drywall unless the picture is very heavy, correct?

TOM SILVA: Right. If you’re dealing with drywall, you can use a small brad, like a 1-inch brad, and just put in on a 40-, 45-degree angle and drop the picture on that. Now, if you need something heavier, they have the plastic inserts that you drill a hole and you drive it into the wall. And then you put your screw into that and leave it sticking out so your picture will hang on that.

TOM: And that actually expands a little bit and holds it towards the wall?

TOM SILVA: Yeah. As the screw goes in, it drives in. They also have a plastic or a metal one that you can screw into the wall. It actually screws into the drywall and then the screw goes into the – in center of that. And so that’s another way to …

TOM: Have you seen this fastener called the Monkey Hook, where it pushes like a hook and it pushes the wall and it ends behind it and grabs it?

TOM SILVA: It’s a fine wire.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM SILVA: Yeah, yeah.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM SILVA: It works pretty good.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM SILVA: I tried it with a paper clip. It didn’t work.

TOM: Now, what about plaster? You work on lots of old houses. Plaster is obviously very delicate, especially as the older it gets it starts to separate from the lath that’s behind it. How would you approach the project differently if it was a plaster wall?

TOM SILVA: Yeah, the old horsehair-and-lath plaster.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM SILVA: It is brittle, you’re right.

Well, sometimes, if you’re lucky and the picture is small enough, you can try – take a small drill bit and drill a hole where you think you want to put the hanger. And with a – if you can hit a lath, you may be able to use a small enough screw. But you want to predrill it, because you don’t want to split the lath.

TOM: Because that lath is wood, so you’re actually grabbing a little piece of wood behind the plaster.

TOM SILVA: Right. And the lath is a ¼- to 3/8-inch thick, so it’s strong enough for a picture, unless you’ve got a heavy picture.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM SILVA: And then you’ve got to think about a fastener that’s going to go through the wall and grab behind the lath. That would be some type of a …

TOM: Mirror or something like that, maybe?

TOM SILVA: Yeah. A heavy mirror, obviously.

TOM: Yeah.

TOM SILVA: They have expanding anchors and also hollow-wall anchors that are good for those, too.

TOM: Sometimes, you absolutely, positively have to just find that stud, correct?

TOM SILVA: Yeah. I mean if you’ve got a valuable picture or a big mirror with a wonderful frame on it, you want to make sure that sucker’s not coming down.

TOM: Now what about masonry, if you happen to have the need to drill into brick or stone? How would you approach that?

TOM SILVA: Well, masonry anchors, they have all kinds of masonry anchors that you could attach to. Let’s face it: we attach structure to masonry walls.

TOM: Right.

TOM SILVA: So they have them light-duty, small-duty. And you can go to your home center and pick out – you could spend an hour there just trying to find a fastener that will do it. But they’re all labeled for what they are good for: drywall, masonry. You don’t need anything too big.

TOM: I’ve seen these masonry screws. They come, actually, with a drill bit included in the package so you know just what to use.

TOM SILVA: Yep. Yeah, they’re great. They’re great.

TOM: Let’s talk about really heavy objects. Molly bolts. They kind of combine the ease of the expansion of the plastic anchor with a lot more strength, correct?

TOM SILVA: A molly bolt is like a spring-loaded system that when you drill a hole, you pop this – the molly bolt through the hole with the screw on it. Pop it in, the spring will open up inside the wall. You pull back on it and then you can tighten it right in. They also have one that’s on a plastic strip.

TOM: Right.

TOM SILVA: That’s a molly and it’s called a “snap tie.” If you drill the same hole, you pull it in, you pull back on the snap tie and screw it in. They’re pretty quick. I like them.

TOM: Well, clearly there’s a fastener for every project. You’ve got to pick the right one and we can do that now with your help. Thank you so much, Tom Silva, from TV’s This Old House.

TOM SILVA: Always nice to be here.

LESLIE: Alright. Catch the current season of This Old House and Ask This Old House on PBS. For local listings and step-by-step videos of many common home improvement projects, visit ThisOldHouse.com.

TOM: And This Old House and Ask This Old House are brought to you on PBS by The Home Depot.

Up next, if you rent a home or apartment, did you know that your possessions may not be covered in the event of a fire or another emergency? We’ll tell you what you need to know to make sure your stuff is actually protected, after this.

Where home solutions live, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: What project is on your to-do list for 2019? We’d love to hear about it. Give us a call, right now, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. You’ll get the answer to your home improvement question and this hour, you might just win a great product because we’re giving away a product called Entry.

Now, this is an ice-melt product and it’s designed to melt ice and snow super fast and prevent it from refreezing to temperatures well down below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It kind of reminds me of the product that you see that the municipalities and the state put on the roads to stop the ice from forming. It’s a clear liquid.

LESLIE: It makes me feel like I work at the airport. I’m deicing your plane.

TOM: Yeah, right?

LESLIE: It’s amazing. If this sprayer was only slightly more powerful, then I would actually feel like I were deicing a plane. It’s really amazing that this clear liquid is chloride-free, so it works fantastically well without making a sort of a mess of the inside of your house. It’s safer for your pets. It’s not going to pock all the surfaces of the concrete outside and it’s great for the planet.

TOM: Yeah. And a little goes a long way. A ½-gallon of the Entry product covers as much surface as 50 pounds of rock salt and other granular deicers.

You can pick it up on Amazon or you can check out their website at ChlorideFree.com. But this hour, we’ve got a bundle going out to one listener drawn at random. It’s worth 45 bucks, so pick up the phone. Why not make it you? The number, again, is 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Richard, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

RICHARD: Well, what I’ve got is an older house. And in the bathroom, where the faucet comes out of the system, there’s a stopper there that engages the shower, alright? When you – it’s worn out. And I went to try to change that spout but I put a large [pipe pinch] (ph) on it and it didn’t move very good. And I was afraid that behind the system there is copper pipe. And I was afraid to pinch that pipe and cause a leak behind the wall, so I quit. So, I don’t know – do I have to tear the wall open on the backside to get a hold of it so I can do that?

TOM: That’s the way the job’s usually done, yes. What’s on the backside? Does it happen to be a closet or something like that where you don’t care so much what it looks like?

RICHARD: Well, no. It’s an insert where the toilet is.

TOM: Oh, OK.

RICHARD: But it’s just a small, little tag wall there. And I was wondering if I had to take the sheetrock off of that to get – make sure I had a firm grip on that before I …

TOM: Working from an open stud bay like that is really the best way to do this. And anything else is going to leave you open to leaks and probably not a happy end to this project. So, I think removing the wall and cutting it open and properly re-seaming is probably the best way to go.

RICHARD: That settles that in my mind. And I thank you very much.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Well, from all the cooking that goes on, to space heaters to roaring fireplaces, winter, it turns out, is the time of year when fire is most likely to break out in your home. Now, prevention is the first priority. But if a blaze does break out in your space, you want to be sure that you’ve got the right insurance to cover your belongings that are damaged or ruined.

TOM: Now, if you own a home, most homeowners policies are going to cover this. But if you’re a renter, there’s a good chance your belongings are not covered by the landlord’s insurance policy. And that’s why renters need to have their own tenants contents insurance.

LESLIE: Now, the great thing about contents insurance is that it covers more than just fire damage. Most policies protect your possessions against 16 different causes. And they range from the usual suspects, like fire to theft, to unlikely catastrophes like explosions.

TOM: And the best news? Renters content insurance can be purchase for as little as 10 bucks a month. It’s a very small price to pay for making sure your stuff is covered. So if you are a renter, make sure you have contents insurance so that your stuff stays protected.

LESLIE: Judy in Arkansas is on the line with a floor that’s coming apart. Tell us what’s happening.

JUDY: Well, it’s been down about 13 years. It’s like a $5,000 floor is what it cost us. A thousand-square-foot room. It’s Pergo. We have some seams that have kind of bubbled up a little bit. Is there any way to fix this? I don’t intend to replace it, OK?

TOM: So, you say the seams have bubbled up on laminate floor? So, they’re pressing together and sort of pushing up?

JUDY: Yeah, just a little bit. I have some extra boxes out there but not enough to fix all of this.

TOM: Yeah. If that’s happening, though – if that’s happening on a wide-scale basis, then I suspect something was done incorrectly in the installation. A couple of things to remember about laminate floor. First of all, the floor that it goes down on top of has to be pretty flat. It’s got a very low tolerance to floors that are even the least bit out of level, that have any kind of bumps or rolls in it. Secondly, if it’s put on too tight so that it doesn’t have enough room to expand and contract, then you can see that floors will buckle up. They’ll press in because they’re expanding and they’ll push up and have those seams come apart. So those are the things that you really need to look into with this.

I would get your contractor back and have them address this, because that definitely should not have happened once that floor was put down.

JUDY: Even 13 or 14 years out?

TOM: It definitely shouldn’t have happened.

JUDY: Do you think it could be moisture?

TOM: It could be. It could be moisture-related. Have you had an excessive amount of moisture recently when this started to happen?

JUDY: No. Uh-uh. Not at all.

LESLIE: Yeah. But it could just be consistent moisture from the hydroscopic nature of the concrete over time.

TOM: Yeah. It could be.

JUDY: And the house is about 30 years old.

TOM: How long ago did it start to come up?

JUDY: It’s been going on. We’ve been noticing spots off and on for a while.

TOM: Well, Leslie’s correct. It could very well be moisture-related if it’s going to – if it’s that frequent and it laid down flat for all the other years up to that.

JUDY: OK. There’s nothing else I can do?

TOM: No. You can’t fix something like that, Judy. Unfortunately, you have to replace it. Well, what I would do if I replaced it, I would be very careful about measuring the moisture in the concrete to make sure it’s not wetter than what the manufacturers allow. And secondly, I’ll give you a trick of the trade, which is that even though the laminate floors today are lock together-type pieces, you can add glue to those seams, as well. And that gives you a more permanent protection against this happening again.

JUDY: OK. Well, thank you.

TOM: You’re welcome, Judy. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Up next, are you dealing with some areas of stretched carpeting and wondering if you can fix it? We’re going to share the most likely cause of that saggy carpet and talk you through the steps to get it back in shape, after this.

TOM: Where home solutions live, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Pick up the phone right now and give us a call with your home improvement questions, your do-it-yourself dilemmas, your décor questions at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. You can also post those questions to The Money Pit’s Facebook page or on MoneyPit.com.

And that’s what Ashley did. And Ashley is buying a new, very old home.

LESLIE: It’s not that old. She said, “We just purchased a 1960s old home with a full basement. The previous owners installed carpet on top of what looks like a ¼-inch cement board, which is on top of those old asbestos tiles. We’d like to install ceramic tile but don’t know where to begin with all these layers to deal with.”

TOM: First of all, adhering ceramic tile to a solid floor is really important. And the assembly that you describe gives me a few concerns. I mean the best approach, if you really want that tile, is to remove the cement board and then properly – and I underscore properly – remove the asbestos tile, which means it has to be done by a pro. And then you’d adhere the ceramic tile to the original floor.

But that is a ton of work, Ashley, and it’s also going to be really expensive. Plus, why do you want to use ceramic tile? On a basement floor, it’s going to be ice cold.

LESLIE: Freezing.

TOM: I think a much better and far less expensive alternative would be to leave that cement board in place and then add a laminate floor or maybe an engineered-vinyl extruded product – an EVP floor – or an engineered-hardwood floor on top of that. These are all good products that are available for basements and rated for basement-dampness areas. And you’re going to find that there’s so many varieties, especially if you look – if you like the tile look, there’s going to be a laminate that looks just like tile, by the way. We’ve had a laminate floor in our kitchen for years. And our laminate looks like stone and it really is very well done.

So, there’s a lot of options that would save you a lot more money than what you’re thinking you need to do. And I strongly suggest that you look into the laminates, the EVPs or the engineered-hardwood products for that basement and forget your idea of doing the tile. Do the tile upstairs; don’t do it in the basement.

LESLIE: No. You’d be freezing. And the best part of using a laminate or something similar in the basement area is you can still use area rugs to sort of cozy things up and make it a usable space without feeling so cold, which sometimes basements just tend to be very, very, very chilly.

Alright. Next up, we’ve got a post here from Patricia in Boynton Beach, Florida. Now, Patricia writes: “The carpet in our home is becoming loose and wrinkled. We’re wondering what happened and whether it can be fixed. Any ideas?”

TOM: Yeah. You know, the reason that carpets stretch – there’s actually a number of reasons. First of all, it could just be poor installation, right, that it was not properly stretched when it was first put down. But it’s more than likely that the padding underneath the carpet has deteriorated over time. And as the padding loses its ability to support the carpet, the carpet tends to stretch. And then when you walk over it, because it’s loose you kind of tend to pull it every time you take a step, right? And then, eventually, it just gets really saggy and it looks just absolutely terrible.

So, your options would be to try to restretch that carpet. If it turns out the padding is not so bad, you might be able to get away with that. But you can only do it once. If it doesn’t work that time, you’re really going to have to take it up and replace it.

LESLIE: And you know what, Patricia? I wouldn’t be afraid of replacing it, in the long run, because you can find a carpet that has a much better fiber, that’s more wearable, that’s easier to clean. And so many great choices with a wide range of pricing. You’ll find something that works really well for you.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Hey, thank you for spending this part of your day with us, in this brand-new year doing some brand-new planning on projects that you want to get done and – or problems you want to fix around your house. We’re going to be here for you every step of the way. But if you’ve got some ideas about things you’d like to tackle, you can reach out to us, 24/7, at 888-MONEY-PIT or post a question on one of our social-media pages or on our Community page at MoneyPit.com. We’d love to hear from you and help share some knowledge that will help you get that job done quickly, effectively and save some money in the process.

But for now, that’s all the time we have. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

END HOUR 1 TEXT

(Copyright 2018 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)